planetdan

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 :::

The Food Chain

I live in Minnesota, which is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes (even though there are actually over 15,000 - apparently we just don't like to brag). More specifically, I live in Minneapolis, which is called the City of Lakes. There are probably at least 100 lakes within a 15 minute drive from my house. But you won't catch dan swimming in a lake. No way. This photo, recently taken by my coworker's friend, is just one reason why:

(click for larger)

Another reason is urine. But that's a whole different story.

::: posted by dan at 4:15 PM :: [ link ] :: (27) comments

Comments are Closed On this Post

27 previous comments:

Yikes -- that big thing is scaaaary! And the little bugger, too.

By

Anonymous, at 4:55 PM

No way! That's not from a lake in Minnesota....is it?

I swore off lake/beaches the last time I saw a kid puking in the water and a mother take her kids poopy diaper off and throw it into the lake. Never ever again.

By

Colleen, at 5:51 PM

I had to look at that a couple of times for it to really sink in.

Someone landing a Northern Pike which is being eating by a larger northern Pike.

I guess it's a fish eat fish world. Who ever was talking about dogs was all fucked up.

By

BigDubb, at 7:08 PM

ACK! I can never go swimming again. Sharks on the coasts and in gulfs, whatever that is in lakes and kids pee every and all pools ever made. My next trip to New York is going to be one sad trip.

By

brent, at 7:20 PM

Sorry Dan, I think that's Friend of a Friend type story. My family got it from a friend's friend too. Either that, or that stupid six degrees of separation is in effect. How I hate it. Stupid Kevin Bacon.

Besides, Wisconsin has more lakes than 10,000 anyway. 15,081. So quiet. Please. You're making Iowa mad. They don't like passive-aggressive braggarts. ;p

What's worse is when a muskellunge eats a northern which has swallowed a bass. That's weird. But no cool photo.

P.S. There was a pike named "Jaws" that was put in a small lake to clean it of pest fish, but it was so effective that it finished off all of the fish and started eating ducks so it wouldn't starve.

By

John, at 9:02 PM

Whenever I see people swimming in the ocean, I think about all the whale poop that must be out there. Ack.

By

Martingale Jones, at 10:12 PM

Honestly, it was my coworker's friend who took the picture two weekends ago. I can even get confirmation if you require it. But regardless of who took it, it's a nothern pike, like Big Dubb said, which aren't hard to find in MN lakes.

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dan, at 11:16 PM

I don't like drinking water because fish fuck in it.

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John, at 1:11 AM

You have big fish eating little fish in your lake. We have hypodermic needles at the Jersey Shore. We win.

By

Biglug, at 8:03 AM

Damn, John. Pullin out the W.C. Fields. Props to you.

By

paul, at 9:11 AM

Um, which lake was this?

By

ptw, at 10:20 AM

I thought it was an alligator lol....thats some prehistoric looking shit right there! Thanks for just reaffirming my decision to not go in the lake when im on vacation next week!

By

Anonymous, at 3:19 PM

I'm with Dan, as a kid I was fearless and swim in any lake, river, creek, pond or puddle but with age I a chicken. I only canoe now. (with shoes)

By

Anonymous, at 5:41 PM

Dan, I'm sure I regaled you with the ugly details of this story at some point, but I got a terrible throat and ear infection from unidentifiable organisms in the water in Cedar Lake. Luckily I survived dehydration, starvation and nicotine withdrawal to recover after about three weeks. I'm way more afraid of mutant bacteria than hungry fish.

In June my son claimed he and his friends found a monstrous (bicycle-sized) fish with a rusty hook hanging out of its mouth in the creek by Burroughs school (near Lake Harriet). I wonder what it had been eating?

By

stsundown, at 6:54 PM

Alright, I'll believe you. What worries me is the scarcity of people connecting us. Can we map it in relation to Kevin Bacon? But anyway, this smacks of the time that guy (it's always that guy) caught a muskie on his toe.

By

John, at 1:52 PM

You HAVE to submit this pic to the STrib or Kare11 or someone. It's too good not to get more publicity>

By

Anonymous, at 3:59 PM

Oh my LORD...there are fish in Minnesota/Wisconsin that big?? I would seriously have a heart attack if I saw that. Have you heard of Alligator Garr that live in the Mississippi River? They look like alligator without legs. And they're in Minnesota. I'm a'scared...

By

Kiddo78, at 11:43 PM

I am heading up to Seymour LAKE Lodge in Vermont tomorrow. Thanks for totally RUINING the whole POINT of staying there, Dan!!

(I thought it was an alligator, too.)

By

PeaceBang, at 9:32 PM

I live in Tennessee and we have several different types of gar (as you probably do too - longnose, shortnose, spotted, etc.). I've caught a few small ones over the years and you must be very careful with them (they're all teeth). I've never heard of anyone ever being attacked or seriously hurt by one (that doesn't mean it hasn't happened). But the story I wanted to share was told to me by a neighbor. He said that he grew up in West TN before the rivers were dredged by the Corp. and they used to catch 200 plus pound alligator gar on deap sea tackle. They would shoot them in the head and give them to farmers who would pressure cook them (they are very bony) and feed them to their hogs. I've heard that there are monster gar in Florida as well.

By

Anonymous, at 2:45 PM

What lake was that on? I fished my whole life off of Ottertail and remember catching them that size when I was younger, but I haven't seen one that size since.

By

Andrea, at 2:57 PM

wat the fuck is this shit
we could use some names

By

Anonymous, at 11:41 PM

1st bullshit
nice doctoring
how did they get a snapshot of that
it looks fake
the mouth is too bright
the aSS is too faded
and the fish are not proportionate to the ripples in the water
only a fool would believe this

By

Anonymous, at 12:10 AM

I know the guy that took this pic. It's not photoshopped nor bullshit.

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dan, at 9:46 AM

This seems to be making the rounds in emails, with claims of over 55lbs (which would make it far larger than any northern in N. America ... Europe has the largest northen pikes and their record is about that). It COULD be a Musky to be that big, but the other photos I saw of the fish being held make it look even harder to believe). Any sort of backup information would be interesting...but given how much it seems to be making the email rounds ...

By

Anonymous, at 7:32 PM

This photo was taken on a lake in northern MN. I've been told they were Northerns. I don't know what else I can tell you to back it up.

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dan, at 6:38 PM

Looks like something left over from Chernobyl.These lakes have eyes.

By

TammyW803@aol.com, at 5:54 PM

Ihave seen the aligator gar that looks like an aligator with no legs my dad got two in 1950, one weighed 64lbs and the other one weighed 67 lbs. they came down the little river from the St. Francis which runs into white river. I don"t know if the Miss. aligator looks the same or not.

Carleen Finchum Seyller from Lepanto Ark.

By

Anonymous, at 12:22 PM

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